Far North news in brief: Camper station; bridge repaired and popular campgrounds

A new dump station for caravan and motorhome owners visiting Kerikeri will be at Te Puāwaitanga Bay of Islands Sports Hub, above

Dump station

A new dump station for caravan and motorhome owners visiting Kerikeri will be at Te Puāwaitanga Bay of Islands Sports Hub. Dump station users have been able to use alternative public sites at Kawakawa, Kaikohe and Mangōnui since the previous Kerikeri site at Cobham Rd was decommissioned in July 2024.

Bridge repaired

The load restriction placed on Awaroa Road Bridge G09 has now been removed. The emergency load restriction was placed on the bridge in late October, after an inspection revealed serious structural concerns. Engineering works to strengthen the bridge have been completed and the bridge re-opened today to heavy traffic, although a speed limit of 30km/h has been imposed. The bridge, which crosses the Mangonuiowae River near Hicks Rd, is safe for use by all vehicles, including heavy transport carrying up to General Access loads. The 30km/h speed restriction will remain in place until further works are completed in the new year. Awaroa Rd forms part of the Twin Coast Discovery Highway and is an important link for those travelling between Broadwood, Herekino and Ahipara to the north.

Contractor chosen

Fulton Hogan has been chosen by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi as preferred suppliers for Integrated Delivery Contracts (IDCs), covering state highway road maintenance and renewals in Northland. The contract will start in May. The contracts, which are expected to be signed early next year, will see contractors accountable for the majority of maintenance and renewal activity on the regional state highway network, with up to 20% of work available to other pre-qualified suppliers through a contestable process.

Northland campgrounds popular

Northland holds three of the top 10 most popular Department of Conservation campgrounds in the country, according to last summer’s bookings. Uretiti Beach campground is the second most popular, with 32,000 bed nights, while Otamure Bay in Whananaki was fourth, with 20,000 bed nights. Puriri Campsite in Whangaruru rounded out the top-10 with 10,000 bed nights, DoC says. Top spot went to Tōtaranui campground in Abel Tasman with 57,000 bed nights.

Vegetation fire

A vegetation fire at Lake Ohia in the Far North on Sunday took more than two hours to contain. Fire crews from Mangōnui, Karikari and Rangiputa were called at around 11.45am. At its height, the blaze in grass and shrub reached a size of 30m by 10m. Fire and Emergency shift manager Lauren Sika said helicopters were requested to help control the fire but were later stood down as ground crews extinguished the fire by around 2pm.